Gripper clamp for screeds

ABSTRACT

A gripper clamp is provided for facilitating the handling of screeds used in the rough levelling of concrete. The screeds are usually two by fours or two by sixes and are held by workmen at opposite ends. The handling of such screeds is simplified by the use of a gripping tool including a first handle having right angularly extending jaws to engage one side of the screed and a relatively movable handle pivotal relative to the first and having a jaw end engageable with the side of the screed engaged by the first-named jaws.

United States Patent Peper 1 Feb. 29, 1972 [54] GRIPPER CLAMP FORSCREEDS [72] Inventor: Harvey G. Peper, 633 South Dakota Avenue, NewRichmond, Wis. 54017 [22] Filed: June 3, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 43,107

[52] US. Cl. ..294/l04, 294/118 [51] Int. Cl ..B25b 7/08 {58] Field ofSearch ..294/104, 16, 27 H, 28; 81/303,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,808,016 Bull ..294/281,143,253 6/1915 Constantine ..81/4l9 Primary Examiner-Evon C. BlunkAssistant Examiner-J. Kenneth Silverman AttorneyRobert M. DunningABSTRACT A gripper clamp is provided for facilitating the handling ofscreeds used in the rough levelling of concrete. The screeds are usuallytwo by fours or two by sixes and are held by workmen at opposite ends.The handling of such screeds is simplified by the use of a gripping toolincluding a first handle having right angularly extending jaws to engageone side of the screed and a relatively movable handle pivotal relativeto the first and having a jaw end engageable with the side of the screedengaged by the first-named jaws.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Feb; 29, 1972 [7 HARVEY Gil-:5

INVENTOR GRIPIPEIR CLAMP FOR SCREEDS This invention relatesto animprovement in a gripper clamp for screeds and deals particularly with atool useful in handling a screed used for the levelling of concrete andthe like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are variousmeans for levellingconcrete such as that used infloors of a building. In most sucharrangements, spaced rails are provided, or a single rail is provided inspaced relation to the previously formed layer of concrete. The surfaceof the concrete is usually levelled to a generally acceptable level bymeans of a plank such as a two or four or two by six. Such a plank isusually difficult to handle and to use in levelling the surface of thefloor. The present invention resides in the provision of the clampingdevice which may be used to hold the two by four or two by six plankused for levelling off the surface of the concrete, and which generallysimplifies the operation of levelling the mass of concrete.

Concrete is usually laid between members designed to indicate apredetermined level. The general. level isusually approximated by theuse of a screed which is designed to remove the excess of concrete andto deposit such excess in the areas beneath the level of the screed. Thescreeds ordinarily used are planks of wood, commonly known as two byfours and two by sixes. Workers are provided at each end of such aplank, and the plank is usually reciprocated back and forth over thesurface of the concrete so as to provide an approximate level. Thesurface may later be smoothed by suitable mechanism well known in theart.

One of the problems involved in the rough smoothing of the concrete liesin the difficulty in holding the two by four, or two by six, so that theexcess cement will be removed, and the surface-will be made at a certainlevel. The difficulty normally resides inthe fact that it is difficultto hold a plank of this size in the hands for any great period of timewhile the surface of the concrete is being levelled. It is, therefor, afeature of the present invention to provide a gripping device for morecomfortably handling screeds, and to accordingly speed up the process offinishing a concrete surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A feature of the present invention resides inthe provision of a clamp including a pair of pivotally connected handleshaving generally right angularly extending end portions thereon. Theseend portions are arranged so that a two by four or two by six may beengaged between the fixed jaws and the relatively movable jaw thereof.When the movable jaw is moved into an engagement with the memberengaging the fixed jaws, the structure is such that the two by four ortwo by six may be readily moved back or forth, or moved in any desireddirection, without the resulting strain on the fingers which is usuallyexperienced in moving the plank across the surface to be smoothed.Furthermore, the clamp is such that the operator can hold the plank at agreater distance from his body than is possible with the usual screed,thereby providing a greater flexibility of operation.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a clampincluding a member designed to engage one side of the plank, andpivotally connected member designed toengage the other side thereof. Bydrawing the handle portions of the jaws together, the plank or screed issecurely supported.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gripper clamp in readiness foroperation.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gripper clamp in engagement with thescreed.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure indicated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the end portion of the device, theposition of the view being indicated by a line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The". device which is' illustrated is extremely simple in its form. Thedevice is preferably made of metal strips of generally rectangularsection. The body portion of the device includes a pair of parallelsides 10 and 11 connected by a connecting loop 12. The ends of the armswand 11 are twisted through an angle of as indicated at 13 and 14, andthe ends of the arms 10 and 11 terminate in generally coplanar armportions 16 and 17.

In order to provide a clamping device, an arm 19 extends in generallyparallel relation to the upper surfaces of the arms 10 and 11, and isright angularly twisted as indicated at 20'to extendbetween these arms10 and 11. A pivot bolt 21 serves as a connection between the fixed arms10 and 11 and the downwardly extending end 24 of the relatively movablearm 19. By pivoting the arm 19 toward the arms 10 and 11, a plank suchas a two by four 22 may be engaged between the arm portions 16 and 17and the downwardly projecting end 24 of the movable arm19.

The metal strips such as strap iron, having wider sides and narroweredges, is arranged so that the wider a flat sides of the jaws 16 and 17engage one side of the screed, while the narrower edge of the jaw 24 ofthe lever 19 engages the opposite side thereof.

The advantage of the present structure is believed obvious to oneskilled in the art, but may not be obvious to those who are not skilledin the art. Concrete is usually laid roughly between a pair of parallelguides, and the concrete is usually levelled accordingly. While variousdevices have been used to level the concrete; in general, the level isusually determined by scraping off the excess concrete with the use of aplank or similar member which rests upon the rails or the like so as toprovide the proper depth of the concrete. Planks such-as two by fours ortwo by sixes are somewhat difficult to hold in the hand during suchoperations. However, clamps such as the disclosed in the presentinvention may be provided to greatly simplify'the operation of levellingof the surface of concrete, and the levelling device is not of necessityheld between the thumb and fingers, as is in the event of a levellingplank, but between the thumb and fingers in the manner usual in handlinga pair of pliers or another tool of this type. Furthermore, the concretelevelling device is further enhanced by the fact that the levelling toolmay be held from a position laterally of the concrete, rather than fromeither side of a body of concrete, as has been usual practice.

As will be noted in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the arm portions 16 and 17,while being described as generally coplanar are actually slightlyangularly related. The outer edges of these arms areon a plane which issomewhat closer to the movable jaw 24 than inner edgesthereof. Thisangularity between the jaws helps prevent slipping of the screedrelative to the clamp when the screed is being moved in a lateraldirection.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principalsof operation and construction of my device,-and while I have endeavoredto set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understoodthat changes may be made within the scope of the following claimswithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A gripper clamp for use in handling screeds and the like including:

a pair of levers formed of metal strips of generally rectangular crosssection having parallel sides and parallel connecting edges,

a first'of said levers including a pair of arms, the sides of which aregenerally parallel and the edges of which are substantially coplanar,

a loop connecting one end of said arms together,

said arms being twisted at their other ends through an angle ofsubstantially 90 so that the strip sides are generally coplanar,

arm portions extending at generally right angles to said other en'ds,

Inlrv): nan:

arms of said first lever and pivoted thereto.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which the sides of said arm portionsof said first lever extending at substantially right angles to saidother ends thereof are angularly related with the outer edges thereof ona plane slightly farther from said jaw than the inner opposed edgesthereof.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which one of the edges of said secondlever provides a gripping edge of said jaw.

- A A n: AER

1. A gripper clamp for use in handling screeds and the like including: apair of levers formed of metal strips of generally rectangular crosssection having parallel sides and parallel connecting edges, a first ofsaid levers including a pair of arms, the sides of which are generallyparallel and the edges of which are substantially coplanar, a loopconnecting one end of said arms together, said arms being twisted attheir other ends through an angle of substantially 90* so that the stripsides are generally coplanar, arm portions extending at generally rightangles to said other ends, a second of said levers having handle portionof one end with its sides in substantially right angular relation to thesides of said first lever arms and having a handle portion at one endand, said second lever being twisted at substantially right angles tothe sides of said handle portion of second lever, an end on said secondlever forming a jaw bent at substantially ninety degrees from the sidesof said handle portion of said second lever, said end of said secondlever extending between the parallel arms of said first lever andpivoted thereto.
 2. The structure of claim 1 and in which the sides ofsaid arm portions of said first lever extending at substantially rightangles to said other ends thereof are angularly related with the outeredges thereof on a plane slightly farther from said jaw than the inneropposed edges thereof.
 3. The structure of claim 1 and in which one ofthe edges of said second lever provides a gripping edge of said jaw.